Welding electrode



June 17, 1947- T. E. KIHLGREN ETAL 2,422,489

WELDING ELECTRODE Filed June 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E UNGRACKED D SLIGHTLY j CRACKED E mzmum .2 3 slmcmiqa 0 seven: U CRACKING Per .Cent Silicori AND CHARLES ELAC) ATTORNEY June 1947- T. E. KIHLGREN ETAL 2,422,489

WELDING ELECTRODE Filed June 50, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ca 1.40 o ca 2.65 s: 042% O 51 0.5976 51-0457,

ELECTRODE OF PRESENT INVENTION cs.2..a97$ 65.2.65 0 (252.65% v .SI-|.62% 51-12570 SPCA-60-57 PRIOR ELECTRODE o1:- ELE'CTRODE PRESENT INVENTION mw vroas THEODORE EJf/HLGREN AND CHARLES E. LAC)- ATTORNEY Patented June 17, i9

WELDING ELECTRODE Theodore E. Kihlgren, Scotch Plains, and Charles E. Lacy, Westfield, N. 3., assignors to The International Nickel Company, Inc.', New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 30, 1945, Serial No. 602,498 In Canada June 2, 1945 Claims.

The present invention relates to a nickel alloy welding electrode and, more particularly, to a nickle alloy welding electrode operable on A. C. as well as D. C. welding machines and capable of producing ductile, single and multiple bead welds, essentially free of hot cracking tendencies.

Nickel base, nickel-chromium alloy welding electrodes and nickel base, nickel-chromium-iron alloy electrodes which have been known to the prior art all suffered from certain deficiencies or disadvantages which rendered their use diflicult and in many cases unsatisfactory. For example, one or more of the following deficiencies was generally present: A

1. Unsuitability for use in A. C. welding machines as well as on the conventional D. C. welding machines.

2. Inability to meet free bend requirements due to porosity and/or weld hot cracking tendencies.

3. Inability of commercial flux coated electrodes consistently to produce crack-free, multiple bead welds in heavy plate.

As an indication of prior art inadequacies in permitting crack-free welds to be obtained, the following Widely varying flux coatings applied to 80 nickel 14 chromium 6 iron and 80 nickel 20 chromium alloys were found quite unable to produce welds free of hot cracking tendencies. Some of the electrodes tabulated hereinafter were commercially produced electrodes and others were provided with experimental coatings of a type commonly encountered in electrode flux coatings.

1 Commercial electrode (80/14/6) cryolite, fluorspar, sodium fluoride, FeTi, silicate (2)* Commercial electrode (80/14/6) cryolite,

*1 and 2 are proprietary flux coatings-consisting essentially of the ingredients indicated.

feldspar, rutile, FeCb, NiTi, mordex, bentonite, silicate (3) 67CaF2, 14.4CaSiOa, 14.4CaCOa, 1.9 bentonite, 2.3 FeMn, NazSiOa binder (4) CaF2, 15NaF, 55102, 45TiOz, NazSiOa binder (5) 35CaF2, 15NaF, 20Si02, 30NiTi, dextrine binder (6) 21CaF2, 9NaF, Si02, 30NiTi, dextrine binder (7) 20CaF2, 54CaCoa, 2 bentonite, 24Tio2, Naz- SiOa binder (8) 22CaFz, I'ICaCOa, 5FeMn, 26Ti02, 30Na2- SiOs, dextrine binder (9) 21CaF-2, 17CaCoa, 5FeMn, 40Ti0z, 17Na2- SiOa, dextrine binder (10) 30CaFz, 17CaCoa, 5FeMn, TiOa, NazSiOa binder (11) IOCaFz, 21FeMn, 23K2Ti03, 23CaTiOa, 23- NazSiOz, dextrine binder (12) 23CaF'z, 23FeTi, 25CaCOa, 29K2Ti03, dex-- trine binder It will be noted from the foregoing tabulation of prior art flux coatings that a wide variety of lime type, rutile (T102) type and sodium fluoride-fluorspar type fluxes modified with various minerals and metallic addition alloy have been used. These commonly used types of flux coatings were inadequate and it is apparent that the proper type of coating to produce the desired results required extended study and experimentation to evaluate the factors influencing weld hot ductility.v

We have discovered that the hot cracking tendency in welds of the prior art is related to the silicon content of the fusion, the hot cracking tendency being greater the greater the amount of silicon present and that this deleterious efiect of chromium-iron alloys with either A. C. or D. C.

welding equipment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a welding electrode the use of which will substantially eliminate the tendency toward weld hot cracking in welds of nickel base, nickel-chromium alloys and nickel-chromium-iron alloys.

A further object of the present invention is the L a v ency of nickel base. nickel-chromium alloys and nickel base, nickel-chromium-iron' alloys can be completely eliminated. A direct relationship has been found to exist between the columbian content that must be present in the weld metal and the silicon content in the weld metal in order to counteract the deleterious effect of the silicon. The minimum columbium to silicon ratio necessary in the weld metal'to eliminate hot cracking in alloys of the Inconel type is 4.5-1, but

in practice it has been found that this ratio should provision of a welding electrode containing,

columbium and silicon in such definite and predetermined relationship to each other that welds made therefrom will have columbium and silicon in the finished weld in a columbium-silicon ratio exceeding a certain minimum value.

It is a still further object of the present invention to produce welds capable of meeting free bend requirements. 4

The present invention also contemplates the provision of a flux coated welding rod in which the flux is devoid of components and binder materials which would have a tendency to react with essential residual elements of the weld and to eliminate such essential residual elements from the fusion, the said flux being also devoid of ingredients which would introduce such undesirable elements as lead and sulfur into the fusion.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following disclosure:

Nickel-chromium-iron alloys such as those sold under the trade-mark Inconel generally contain small but highly important proportions of residual elements to insure hot and cold malleability, these residual elements also serving to fix such deleterious impurities as sulfur, for example, and to render such deleterious impurities comparatively harmless. The electrode of the'present invention operates to avoid loss of these essential residual constituents, both by providing a protective atmosphere about the arc and by avoiding the use of flux components and binders which may react with these essential residual elements and eliminate the latter from the fusion. In addition, the use of flux ingredients which might introduce undesirable elements such as lead and sulfur into the fusion is also avoided. In addition to the aforesaid essential residual elements, these nickel-chromium-iron alloys generally contain silicon as an impurity and it is therefore impossible to obtain a nickel-chromium-iron alloy weld metal of zero silicon content since a small amount of silicon is always present, either in the alloy itself or in the flux ingredients. It has been found that silicon, whether added intentionally or inadvertently present, produces hot cracking in nickel-chromium-iron alloy welds, the severity of the cracking increasing with the silicon content. vSilicon cannot be wholly eliminated from the fusion and for practical purposes cannot generally be reduced below about 0.15%. The present invention provides a meanswhereby the inherent tendency of silicon to promote hot cracking is substantially eliminated. It has been found that the addition of columbium to the fusion tends to counteract the deleterious effect of the silicon and that by the provision of a suflicient columbium to silicon be maintained at from 5 or 6 to 1 in order to provide a margin of safety. A ratio of columbium to silicon as high as 12:1 has given satisfactory results. For reasons of economy and desirability of minimum deviation from the base metal composition, however, it is preferred that the columbium content should not exceed 5.0%. Since it is desirable, for reasons of economy, to maintain the columbium content of the weld metal as low as possible, it will be apparent that this requires that the silicon content also be maintained as.

low as possible in order to maintain the preferred columbium-silicon ratio. The preferred ratio is maintained by introducing columbium into the fusion while at the same time avoiding or the use of flux ingredients which ratio in the weld metal, the hot cracking tend- .75

would introduce silicon into the fusion. It will be apparent from the foregoing that the amount of columbium which is introduced into the weld metal will be determined by the minimum silicon content which can be practically obtained in the fusion. As stated hereinbefore, it is generally impossible to reduce the silicon content below 0.15% and it will be apparent that the minimum columbium content will generally be from about 0.675% to about 0.90% in order to maintain the In the prepreferred columbium-silicon ratio. ferred embodiment of the present invention, the columbium is introduced into the fusion entirely through the flux coating on the electrode core wire. A convenient means for introducing the columbium into the flux coating is by the addition of appropriate amounts of ferro-columbium. Columbium may be introduced, however, partly through the flux coating and partly through the core wire, or it may be introduced through the core wire alone.

Columbium has previously been used in a flux coating for electrodes of the prior art as will be seen in Example 2 of the listing of prior art flux coatings given hereinbefore. Columbium was added to this electrode for the purpose of preventing intergranular stress corrosion of the weld metal. This prior art electrode flux coating, however, also introduced a considerable amount of silicon into the fusion and the low columbium to silicon ratio (2.1-1) ,was not sufficiently great to prevent weld hot cracking. The results of comparative tests between this prior art electrode and the electrode of the present invention are given hereinafter;

The electrode of the present invention, in addition to maintaining a columbium to silicon ratio within preferred limits in the weld deposit, also provides ingredients in the flux coating which make possible its operation onA. C. as well as D. C. welding machines. In the present flux, calcium carbonate is the essential ingredient for producing good A. C. are behavior since it has been found that alkali earth metal oxides or alkali earth compounds which decompose to oxides will stabilize the A. C. are. The composition of such a flux coating is as-follows:

1 As low in S10, as can' be obtained in commercial grades.

I As low in Si as can be obtained in commercial grades.

With in the coating, columbium would be introduced solely through the core wire. I

Potato dextrine is preferably used, mixed with water at 160- 212 F. in a dextrine-water ratio 01' about 1:3 (by weight).

decreases with an increase in the columbiumsilicon ratio.

Sixteen X weld crack tests" having different columbium and silicon contents were prepared and examined for cracking in the manner de-.

scribed in the foregoing procedure and were analyzed for columbium and silicon. The extent of cracking in these welds, classified as uncracked, slightly cracked, medium cracking" and severe cracking, from the observation of the crack H test specimens, was indicated by the type of-point In preparing the flux coating from the ioregoing dry ingredients and binder, the dextrinewater mixture is added to the mixture of dry ingredients to obtain a consistency suitable for extrusion with the core wire. Although it is preferred to use potato dextrine as the binder, other types of dextrine binders may be used. Colloidal clays other than bentonite may also be used.

Core wire The coating described is applied to a core wire, having about the following composition range: 0.01-0.2 C, 0.05-1.0 Mn, 4-10 Fe, 005-0.? Si, 0.05- 1.0 Cu, 75-e85 Ni, and 10-16 Cr. The coating is preferably applied to a commercial production wire such as that sold under the trade-mark Inconel," the composition of which falls within the foregoing range. .Such a cor wire may be further modified by the addition of other elements such as aluminum, titanium and molybden'um. As stated hereinbefore, the columbium content necessary to obtain the required columbium to silicon ratio in the weld metal may be introduced partly or wholly through the core wire; therefore the above core wire composition may be modified to contain from 0 to 5% columbium. The coating has also been successfully applied to an 80 nickelchromium wire of suitably low silicon content as is shown by -X weld tests given hereinafter. I

The columbium to silicon ratio was established by making a. series of X weld crack tests with varying contents of columbium and silicon. The

X weld crack test is made by forming a weld in which two 3-inch lengths of 1 inch square bar stock are joined with a double V grooveweld. The weld passes were laid-in, two at a time, on alternate sides of the double V with sufficient time lapse between each pair of passes to permit the specimen to cool to below 100 F. Dur ing welding, visual examination is made of each pass after it has been laid in to determine whether any gross cracking has occurred. After welding, the specimen is sectioned twice on planes perpendicular to the direction of welding and the sectional surfaces of the weld are polished on a rubber bonded fine abrasive wheel, etched, and

examined under a binocular microscope for cracks.

In order to give those skilled in the art a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a graphical representation of the extent of cracking present in welds of varying columbium-silicon ratios; and

Fig. 2 illustrates how hot cracking in welds on the columbium vs. silicon graph of Fig. 1. The

columbium to silicon relationship was determined from this graph. In tabulated form the data concerning these sixteen X-welds' with the columbium-fsilicon ratios were as follows:

Table 1 Columbium Silicon Observation Weld No. content, per content, Cb-Bi Ratio 3x2225 3 cent per cent welds.

0 1. 39 0-1. 39 Severe. 2. 89 1. 62 1. 78-1 D0.

0 0. 42 0- 42 Medium 3. 91 1. 80 2. 17-1 D0. .1. 0. 59 2. 37-1 D0. 2. 75 1. 14 2. 41-1 D0. 4. 24 1. 37 3. 09-1 Slight. 3. 29 0. 80 4- 11-1 DD. 4. 70 1. 04 4. 52-1 None.

' 1.54 0.31 4.97-1 D0. 2. 94 O. 55 5. 34-1 D0. 2. 65 0. 46 5. 77-1 DO. 4. 16 0. 66 6. 30-1 D0. 3. 09 0. 33 9. 36-1 D0. 3. 0o 0. 2e 11. 53-1 Do.

The columbium content and silicon content as shown for each of the welds in the foregoing table were determined by analyses of the completed weld in each-instance. The progressively favorable results that are obtained as the columbiumsilicon ratio in the weld is brought to and beyond 4.5 to 1 in accordance with the present invention is clearly demonstrated in the foregoing table. It will be noted from the data of the foregoing tabulation that no cracking occurred in the X weld crack tests when the ratio of columbium to silicon was in excess of 4.5 to 1, but that cracking occurred, varying from slight to severe, when that ratio fell to 4.11 to 1 or lower.

Five X weld crack tests were chosen from the sixteen "X weld crack tests previously decracking decreases with an increase in the columbium-silicon ratio and the results of these five tests are shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2. The beneficial effects are shown in A, B and C of Fig. 2 when the increase in the columbium-silicon ratio is obtained by increasing the columbium content while maintaining the silicon content substantially constant and similar results are shown in D, E and C wherein the columbium-silicon ratio is increased by decreasing the silicon Eontent while maintaining the columbium content substantially constant. It will be noted that C represents the electrode of the present invention in both instances.

It has already been noted that Example 2 in the history of the prior art flux coatings shows the use of columbium, but that the columbiumsilicon ratio (2.1-1) was not sufficiently great to prevent weld hot cracking. Diagram E of Fig. 2 represents an "X weld crack test in 'which this prior art flux coating was used. It will be noted in that diagram that some cracking has occurred and this is due to the low columbium-silicon ratio.

binder. The plates were welded at 120 amperes' D. C. in five passes with one sealing bead on the Additional data on these five X welds" shown in Fig. 2 are given in the following table:

- Table 2 Core Wire, Flux and Weld Data "Ineonel" Core Wire "Inconsi" Core Wire, 2% Cb added Core Wire diameter .156 Coated electrode, outside diameter .230-.. Coated electrode, outside diameter .200"--. Current used, type and amperes Flux Ogrgposition:

Flux Binder:

Potato dextrine Silicate Cb/Si ratio in weld metal" Hot cracks observed in sections Y 2B, the appearance of hot cracking is decreased but, at the Cb-Si ratio used, is not wholly eliminated. When the columbium ratio is further increased as in Example3C, it will be noted that no hot cracking is observed in the finished sections. In contrast, when the columbium-silicon ratio is decreased, cracks in the finished section was the same as that used in Example 2 with the are observed, as will be seen in the results given for Examples 4D and 5E, the'amount of cracking being somewhat less in 5E than in 4D. As stated heretofore, the'weld under 5E was made using a commercial prior art coated electrode No. 2 in the list of prior art electrode fluxcoatings.

Example 1 An X weld crack test was made using an Inconel core wire of $43" diameter having a flux coating thereon comprising 42% CaCOs, 25.5% CaFz, FeTi, 20% FeCb and 2.5% bentonite with 3% of dextrine binder. The coated electrode was .190" outside diameter and was used in making an X weld using 105 amperes A. C. No cracks were observed in the sections. The columbium and silicon in this weld were approximately 3% and 0.3%, respectively.

Tests of the mechanical properties of welds produced according to the present invention were also made and the results are shown in the following examples:

Example 2 diameter, extruded with a flux coating to an outside diameter of .230". The flux coating was made up of 42% CaCOs, 25.5% CaFz, 10% FeTi, RC!) and 2.5% bentonite with a dextrine The plates were welded at 145 amperes A. C. in'

reverse side. The welded plate was tested as follows:

Bend tests: Face bend 24% elongation without failure. Root bend 35% elongation without failure.

Tensile tests (short gauge specimens):

Tensile strength 19'7,000 p. s. i. Tensile strength 291,000 p. s. 1.

Example 3 Two x 4" x 6" plates of nickel-14 chromium-6 iron alloy were butt welded to give a x8" x 6" welded plate. The electrode used same core wire and the same flux coating. The plates were welded at amperes D. C. in five passes with one sealing bead on the reverse side. The welded plate was tested as follows:

Bend tests: I Y V Face bends 37.5% elongation with no faflure. Root bends 51% elongation with no failure.

Example 4 Two x 5" x 10" plates of an 80 nickel- 14 chromium-6 iron alloy were butt welded to give a x 10" x 10" welded plate. The electrode used was a core wire of 80 nickel-14 chromium-6 iron of commercial grade, is" diameter extruded with a flux coating to an outside diameter oi.- 0. 230". The flux coating composition was 42.0% CaCOa, 25.0% CaFz, 10.0% FeTi, 20.0% FeCb and 3.0% bentonite with a dextrine binder.

seven passes against an InconeP' back-up strip. The welded plate was tested as follows:

Bend tests: I

Face bend 35% elongation. Root bend 34% elongation. Tensile tests (short gauge specimens) Tensile strength 1-93,000 p. s. i. Tensile strength 2 95,300 p. s. i.

The foregoing data is illustrative of the mechanical properties of welds made in accordance with the present invention when alternating current is used.

Example X Weld Number 1 2 Core wire-SONi-ZOC: Used sed. Core wire diameter 0.156 0.156. Coated electrode, outside diameter 0.230 0.230". Current used, type and amperes 1211) 818138. 121;) aups Per cent silicon in core wire 0.16: 1.30. I Flux Composition:

I I0 7 .07 f .0%.

Hot cracks observed in sections No as.

Th foregoing data demonstrates that the methods and beneficial results of the present invention are equally applicable to nickel-chromium alloys such as those of the 80/20 type.

portions of silicon and a flux coating enclosing Thus, although the present invention generally accordance with the present invention is adaptable to other high nickel alloys and to nickelchromium-iron alloys other than those sold under the ztrade-mark InconeP' and containing considerable quantities of nickel. Thus, by varying th columbium-silicon ratio in accordance with th present invention, welds of all such alloys, free from weld hot cracks, may be made.

We claim;

1. An electric arc welding electrode adapted forforming weld deposits substantially devoid of hotcracks comprising a core wire containing about 75% to 85% nickel, about 10 to 16% chromium, about 4% to 10% iron and at least 0.15% silicon together with minor porportions of other alloying elements and 'a flux coating enclosing said core wire, said flux coating containing oolumbium in such quantities and in such form ,said core wire, said electrode containing columbium in such quantities that the residual columbium content in said weld deposit will be at least four and one-half times the residual content of silicon in said deposit.

4. An electric arc welding electrode adapted for forming weld deposits substantially devoid of hot cracks comprising a core wire containing about nickel and about 20% chromium but including a minor proportion of silicon and a flux coating enclosing said core wire, said flux coating containing columbium in such quantities and. in such form that the residual columbium content in said weld deposit will be about six times the residual content of silicon in said deposit. I

5. An electric arc welding electrode'adapted for forming weld deposits substantially devoid of hot cracks comprising a core wire containing about; 80% nickel and about 20% chromium but including a minor proportion of silicon and a mix coating enclosing said core wire, said flux coating containing columbium in such quantities and in such form that the residual columbium content in said weld deposit will be at least four and one-half times the residual content of silicon in said deposit.

THEODORE E. KIHLGREN. CHARLESE. LACY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,306,421 Arness Dec. 29, 1942 

